Futurelawyer

Google Photos - Crop That Sucker

Google Photos gets markup functions for its image editor. Most amateur photographers (that means you, person with phone in hand taking photos and posting them online) make one colossal mistake with their photographs. They don't get close enough, and don't fill the frame with their subject matter. Sometimes, scenics and nature require broad views; but, if you are photographing people, animals, birds or other subjects, it is almost always better to get close. If you don't get close when you take the photograph, you can zoom in with the cropping tool of an image editor. There are a lot of these around; but, now, Google Photos, the best image collection cloud service, is providing editing tools in the app. You can crop and now make annotations on the fly. So, start cropping those photos, so I don't have to look at extraneous background anymore. Please.

PhotoScan by Google Photos - Save The Past

PhotoScan by Google Photos - Apps on Google Play. Those of us of a certain age remember when photos were shared in paper albums, and pasted in place. These days our photo lives are stored on a remote server, and accessed through apps like Google Photos. But, what of the past? How do we save our prized memories? Many of us share photos of photos on Facebook or other social media. But, were you aware that there is an app within the Google Photos app that scans photos with your smartphone camera and uploads them for you? Pull out those printed photos and scan away.  

Look Ma! No Wires! No Third Party Apps!

So far, the coolest feature of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus and its tight integration with Windows 10 is the mirroring feature of YourPhone. No USB cables. No wires at all. No third party apps with buggy interfaces. Turn on the phone and the computer and the phone screen pops up on the computer. It can then be controlled on screen by the mouse, keyboard or whatever else you have attached. This is your Smartphone on steroids, and is a game changer. I shot this photo of my phone on screen showing me shooting a photo of my phone with me onscreen. Now, say that three times fast. Cool.

Memento Mori - Do You Know Where This Was Taken?

This is a screen shot of my new Galaxy 10 plus Smartphone. Naturally, it has my favorite Stoic phrase in it: "Memento Mori", a reminder that we must always remember and be prepared to die. Live each day as if... Now, who knows where this photo was taken?

Some Models Get More Beautiful With Age

Sunken Gardens is as excited as we are about the wedding plans. They are searching their archives for records of the model shoot Diane did many years ago at the Gardens. I am beyond amazed that this beautiful and wonderful woman wants to marry me. Here are a couple of photos from that shoot, in 1970. That is 50 years ago. She looks pretty good, for an old lady. :-)

Megapixels So High They're Insane!!!

Film cameras are obsolete. Except for a few diehard purists, who shoot 35 mm film just to say they can, the detail available to a mid-range digital camera these days is more than most of us can discern anyway. At a size of around 22 mm, camera sensors are really more than the typical photographer needs for archival storage of their digital images. However, Samsung and other big corporations are into bigger than the other guy, so Samsung is making 108 megapixel sensors for next year's phones. While comparing digital and film images is somewhat of an apples and oranges thing, it is safe to say that 108 megapixels is more detail than God needed. So, put those film cameras away in a drawer and start looking at a new Smartphone. Or get an SLR digital camera so you can get some serious zoom action going. It's going to be a bright future for cameras, in phones and out. 

VR MovieMaking - The Lion King Lives Again

Disney%u2019s New %u2018Lion King%u2019 Is the VR-Fueled Future of Cinema | WIRED. We spend a pleasant time yesterday watching the grandkids get introduced to VR through my new Oculus Quest headset and controllers. They were immersed in using light sabers to punch out and slash virtual targets in a virtual world. When the new Lion King movie comes out, it will have been created with a combination of live action and virtual cameras and equipment controlled by cameramen and directors wearing similar headsets and moving the equipment around a virtual world to get the perfect shot. Human ability to move around in a virtual fantasy world is changing the way we are entertained, just as it has changed the way Doctors operate, industries create, and the future is limitless.

Game Changer...Optical Zoom In A Phone

We Hope Samsung%u2019s New 5x Optical Zoom Lens Ships With the Galaxy Note 10 %u2013 Droid Life. As any serious photographer will tell you, the big advantage in lugging an SLR around these days is the ability to get glass that has optical zoom. I carry a Canon around with a 35mm to 400 mm compact zoom that can put me right on a subject hundreds of yards away. Until now, we have been stuck with cameras that, although the sensors are collecting a lot of data, are looking through lenses that can't zoom optically. They are limited to digital, computer generated, zoom that creates degraded images at distance. Boo. Hiss. If the new Samsung Note 10 actually includes a 5X optical zoom, I will run, not walk, to the bank to get the money. Please, Samsung, please, please.

FutureLawyer Gets Engaged!

I am pleased to announce my engagement to this beautiful, kind, loving, sweet, genuine, good woman on February 15, 2019. 

Using The Stylus To Take Photos With The Note 9

I am having fun playing with the Note 9 and its unique stylus. Take the stylus out of the phone, and several options pop up, such as note taking, editing, and other great functions. I am not an artist; but, a person with artistic talent could have a lot of fun drawing of the huge 6.4 inch screen. But, by far, my favorite feature, given that I am a serious amateur photographer, is the ability to push a button on the stylus to take a photo. No more fumbling with your thumb on the screen. I can always use the Miggo Pictar device I have written about before, which is a camera grip with a shutter button and works great. However, it is very cool to frame a photo when you aren't even holding the phone, and press a button on the stylus to shoot.